It was Aug. 31, 2006. A 21-year-old Tulowitzki was making his second start with the Colorado Rockies.

The bottom of the third inning, Tulo comes to plate against Mets starter Oliver Perez. With a 3-2 count, Tulowitzki connects on a pitch and sends a hard grounder right at New York’s all-star shortstop, who was knocked over trying to glove the shot.

Tyler Matzek once saved a school of dolphins who were guiding a ship full of orphans to shore. It must be good karma that got him out of an ugly fifth inning Tuesday when the Padres should have broken the game open.

After the Rockies scored twice in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2, Matzek put them an another hole quickly to start the fifth against the bottom of San Diego’s lineup. He walked Clint Barmes on six pitches. Then he walked Brandon Morrow on five pitches — it was the first time in Morrow’s nine-year career he’s even been on base.

Matzek allowed four base runners in the fifth. And none scored. Matt Kemp grounded into a double play to kill the inning. Matzek walked six and struck out three. He left after the fifth with a 5-2 lead.

But the Rockies are riding a thin line of trouble with their starting pitchers.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Troy Tulowitzki remains a hot trade topic in New York, but the truth is that the Mets and Rockies never came close to consummating a deal during the offseason. That hasn’t stopped the speculation and wishful thinking from the Big Apple.

I get an email from a certain Mets fan at least once a week asking me when Tulo is coming to New York. Not soon, and probably never, is my reply.

The New York media remains enthralled with Tulo as well. Mike Puma of the New York Daily Post led his Monday story with this:

Michael Cuddyer won’t lobby the front office for a reunion with a Rockies teammate, but dropped hints Monday that Troy Tulowitzki makes sense for the Mets.

“I think he could be a fit here for sure — there is absolutely no question in my mind that he could be a fit here,” Cuddyer said. “Whether or not (the Rockies) eventually trade him, I don’t know. Nobody in baseball has a player like Tulo except for the Colorado Rockies, so in my opinion you never let a guy like that go.”

So, what does Tulo think of all the trade speculation?

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. (Denver Post file)

“I think this offseason was the first time it really hit me, just because it was every single day and pretty hard,” Tulowitzki said. “I do pay attention, and yeah, I saw my name being thrown all over.”

Yet while the rumors swirled in social media, Tulo had close contact with owner Dick Monfort and the Rockies front office throughout the winter. He was kept in the loop.

“The Rockies kept me involved. They told me that from the start,” Tulo said. “They told you guys (in the media) that as well, that there would be some communication if something were to go down.

“I pay attention. I watch the MLB channel all the time. I know what’s going on. I can’t control any of that. I can only control coming here and doing my job.”

Michael Cuddyer turned down a $15.3 million qualifying offer from the Rockies to sign a two-year deal with the New York Mets on Monday. The move landed the Rockies a first-round draft pick in 2015 and Cuddyer a hefty raise.

But it also left the sports world baffled.

Rockies owner Dick Monfort said last season that he “would like to figure out a way to keep” Cuddyer this season, and it was known in and out of the clubhouse that manager Walt Weiss was a big fan of the 36-year-old outfielder.

“I’d love to have Cuddy back,” Weiss said near season’s end. “He’s a dream for a manager because he sets the standard high. … The leadership — some people may think that’s overrated, or you think it’s overrated until you don’t have it. Then you learn how valuable it is.”

In Cuddyer, the Mets gain a right fielder that may push Curtis Granderson to the other side of Citi Field:

Michael Cuddyer primarily has played RF in majors, not LF. So Granderson may be on the move to left. Grandy said last week that'd be OK.

What’s up: After he had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last October, Matt Harvey said his goal was to pitch in a big-league game this season. It was an optimistic, unrealistic goal. Thursday, the New York Daily News reported that Harvey will throw just a few more bullpen sessions before being completely shut down until spring training.

Background: The Mets, headed for their sixth consecutive losing season, are counting on Harvey to be the ace of their rotation in 2015. It seems like eons ago when he was the National League’s starting pitcher at the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York. At the time, he was tabbed as baseball’s next great pitcher. But he was shut down after making an Aug. 24, 2013, start because of forearm pain. Still, he finished 9-5 last year with a 2.27 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.

They don’t even have a manager yet, and already the Colorado Rockies are the second-longest longshots to win next year’s World Series.

Canada-based Bovada sports book released its 2013 World Series odds on Sunday, with the Detroit Tigers the early 6-1 favorites to win next season. The Yankees are 7-1, followed by the Giants at 10-1.

Only the woeful Houston Astros at 150-1 have longer odds than the Rockies at 75-1. But just think, if you skipped that martini lunch today and put that $10 toward the Rockies, you could be looking at a $750 payday next October.

ATLANTA — Jose Reyes not only beat Troy Tulowitzki in the fan voting for the all-star game, he beat him to the disabled list. With the New York Mets’ shorstop landing on the DL today, it opens the opportunity for Tulowitzki to become the first Rockies’ All-Star starter since Todd Helton in 2004.

However, Tulo won’t even participate in the game unless he returns to the field this weekend. He has not been on the field since injuring his right quadriceps Monday night running to first base.

“Yes, the Rockies are my main focus. If I do not play this weekend I will not play in the all-star game,” Tulowitzki told The Denver Post.

Tulowitzki is a two-time all-star. But he wasn’t able to play last year because of a broken bone in his left wrist. He is hitting .271 with 17 home runs and 57 RBIs.

Todd Helton’s revival can be traced in part to rest. He’s been smarter about days off this season, listening to his body more acutely than a year ago when he admittedly ran himself into the ground with back and leg injuries in late June.

As planned, Helton is getting a day off today in the series finale at Cleveland. The Rockies are looking for their first road sweep since April 14 when they completed a four-game brooming of the New York Mets. Ty Wigginton shifts to first base and rookie Charlie Blackmon also gets his first day out of the lineup, replaced by Ryan Spilborghs.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.